Out of the Mouths of Babes
by xfailingxheartbeatx
Summary: Grace and Baelfire mourn their mothers, discuss their fathers, and ponder the existence of happily ever afters for children like them, who've paid the price for their parents' magic. Set pre-curse.


Since I've recently become obsessed with the show _Once Upon a Time,_ thanks to Netflix, I decided to do a oneshot on an idea that wouldn't leave me alone.

Although they've never interacted in the show, I see a lot of similarities between these two characters. Both have fathers who were changed by power or madness, mothers who are gone, and both their broken families have been through a lot. I could totally see them being besties because of it, though.

And I freakin' love Baelfire. They better incorporate him into season two somehow, so he can be a happy family with Rumple and Belle. Really, is that too much to ask? Oh, and Hatter better get his Grace back! (Alice, too, if only...)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, nor I do I profit off of, Once Upon a Time.

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_A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you - Elbert Hubbard_

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Dusk settled onto the forest like a veil of darkness, leaving only the light of their lantern to shine through the trees. It was still too early to see the stars, so the two children were forced to entertain themselves by other means.

So, they began to talk.

"How have you been fairing as of late, Grace?" asked Baelfire.

"Fine," she replied, flashing her friend a smile. "And you, Bae?"

The smile that appeared on his own lips came unbidden. Besides his father, Grace was the only person who ever called him by his nickname. "Okay, I suppose."

It was partially a lie. Sure, he and his father were living a life of riches and luxury now, but his father had..._changed._ Into something that was barely a man at all. ...Sometimes, when his papa did things that were too frightening to mention, Baelfire wondered if the damage done to his father was irreparable.

Grace, too polite to call him on his bluff, simply nodded. "Well, while our fathers are off on business, why not enjoy a cup of tea?"

Baelfire glanced at the blackened sky above. "I believe the hour is too late for a tea party."

"It is never too late for tea," Grace said firmly. Then Baelfire broke out into laughter, and she followed suit. He liked it when she smiled. She had her mother's smile.

Alice had always been very nice, too. Before the curse, before his father became the Dark One, their families would often meet at the market; for he and his father to sell their wool, for Jefferson and his wife to sell their fungi. It was a poor field to making a living off, alas, and Baelfire could tell by Grace's ratty clothes that she and Mr. Jefferson were still struggling.

Mr. Jefferson was with Papa now as they spoke, doing him a job in exchange for a hefty sum. It might last them a while, but certainly not forever, Baelfire thought with a frown. He hated to see such kind people suffer in poverty.

"Baelfire, if you frown any harder, you'll have wrinkles," Grace teased, waking him from his reverie. She was pouring him a cup of tea from her toy kettle, and putting a stone in place of a scone on top of his china plate.

"Ha ha," he mocked, although it had been humorous. Uncertain of how to breach the subject, Baelfire tentatively asked, "Has your father found any new work yet?" _Better paying work_ went unsaid.

"Afraid not," negated Grace.

Baelfire twiddled his thumbs uncomfortably. "Are you two alright?"

She shrugged, taking a pretend sip of her tea. "We make ends meet. Usually..."

"If you need, I could ask Papa to—"

_"No,"_ she said quickly, too quickly. Baelfire recoiled in on himself, having received the expected rebuke. Of course she would refuse. No one in this land wanted to associate with the Dark One. Nor his lonely son...

"Oh no, no! Do not take offense, dear Baelfire," Grace hurriedly added, gently patting his hand. Baelfire looked at her, his face awash with a great sadness that made her heart ache.

Grace bit her lip. "It's only that the last time my father dabbled with somebody with enormous dark power, I lost my beloved mother..."

"The Dark Queen," Baelfire gasped in remembrance. Grace nodded solemnly. He reached across the space of log between them to squeeze her hand.

"All magic has a price."

Both children understood that better than most.

Eventually, Grace retracted her hand from his, using it to fiddle with the blanket they used as a tablecloth. There was always something she had wondered, but her father told her it was too rude to ask. But surely Baelfire would share his deepest feelings with her, as she had shared her own?

"Baelfire?" she inquired.

"Hmm?"

Grace sucked in a breath. "Whatever happened to _your_ mother?"

A shadow slid over her friend's face, and for a moment, words failed him. "Papa always told me that she had died." He averted his eyes forlornly. "But I do not think that is the truth anymore. I think she ran away from him."

Wincing in sympathy, Grace now laced her fingers with his. "Do you miss her?"

"My memories of her are threadbare and scarce. I cannot miss what I do not recall," Baelfire scoffed. His expression softened. "Sometimes, though, I wish for _a_ mother. Somebody beautiful and kind, who will love me for who I am. And even love my father for who he is."

_A beautiful dream,_ Grace thought to herself, however hopeless it seemed. For although she might never say it aloud, to spare her friend's feelings, she didn't know if it was likely the Dark One would ever find someone who loved him for who he was. "Do you ever want to do as she did? Your mother, I mean."

The question popped out before she could stop it, curiosity getting the better of her. She inherited her mother's outspokenness as well.

"What?" Baelfire's brow furrowed.

"Do you ever wish to..._leave?"_

"Leave Papa?" Baelfire exclaimed it in surprise. "No, I could never! I love him, I want to stay with him. I only wish that I could save him from his curse..."

Thankfully, Grace did not prod him to go on, for which Bae was grateful.

Quietness spread over them like a warm, comforting blanket. Here in the forest, with only each other for company, they were safe from all the cruelty and unfairness in the world. It was still out there, of course. But for now...they were safe.

"Bae, do you think there are happily ever afters for stories like ours?" Grace asked after a while.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. Grace's expression dimmed. In an effort to raise her spirits, he asked, "More tea?"

Grace shook her head. "No, let's not play tea party anymore." She gazed up at the sky, grinning brilliantly at what she saw. "Look! The stars have shown themselves!"

Baelfire did as she said, and sure enough, a thousand tiny dots of light filled the sky. Eventide was drifting into night. Distantly, he wondered how much longer their fathers would be away on _business._ The forest was not always friendly in the dead of night. But so long as he had Grace, he swore not to be afraid. He wasn't a coward.

They took the blanket from their tea party and spread it out on the forest floor. Laid on their backs, side by side, they stared at the stars in childlike awe. For in the end, that's all they really were; two children, dreaming impossible dreams.

"See that constellation there?" He pointed to three bright stars in a row. "It is Orion, the hunter. I learned his story from the books Papa brought me."

"Will you tell me it?" asked Grace, smiling her gorgeous smile. Perhaps what he liked about Grace most was that she looked at him without fear, because when she looked she saw _Bae,_ not just the son of Rumplestiltskin.

Maybe one day, everyone would see him that way.

Tonight, Baelfire simply returned the smile, then nodded to her request.

"Once upon a time..."

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I really enjoyed writing this piece, so I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Leave a review, please?


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